Support grid for panels for a false ceiling



L. F. J. NYs 3,385,021

SUPPORT GRID FOR PANELS FOR A FALSE CEILING Maiy 28, 1968 Filed Feb. 5, 1966 United States Patent 659,760 1 Claim. 01. 52-665) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A support for the panels of false ceilings comprising longitudinal and transverse members of inverted T-section connected together at intersection locations by planar bodies which secure opposed transverse members to a continuous longitudinal member such that the transverse members are aligned and the flanges of the longitudinal and transverse members lie in the same plane. The planar bodies are tightly fitted at their edges in grooves in the respective opposed transverse members and are flush with different faces of the webs of the transverse members. The bodies have fingers which engage the web of the longitudinal member at the intersection locations.

The invention relates to a support grid for panels for a false ceiling. These grids conventionally consist of inverted T-sections, the transversely disposed sections being connected to the longitudinally disposed sections by a connecting element. In a general manner, the said connecting element should permit the assembly of the various sections in such manner that the horizontal flanges thereof, which are normally visible from below, are joined together perfectly and are all in the same plane, so as to provide a uniform seating for the various edges of the panels and to give the assembly a pleasing appearan-ce.

Various connecting elements have already been proposed, some of which are the result of a direct transformation of the vertical web at the ends of the transverse sections, this involving the cutting of the said sections into portions the web of which has a length differing from that of the horizontal flanges, whereas others form independent members which are applied against the web and are fixed thereto for example by means of screws, rivets, spring tongues, by welding, deforming punching. or which slide in grooves. The member for securing the arrangement to the longitudinal section may be in the plane of the web of the transverse section or parallel to the said plane, or it may be bent relatively to the latter, and it may consist of hooks or single or double clamps, which may be resilient or non-resilient and which engage in or on the web of the longitudinal section, or alternatively of bent members engaging in grooves formed in the latter section.

It is known, notably, to shape the ends of the web of a transverse section in the form of hooks adapted to extend through an aperture formed in the web of a longitudinal girder and the width of which is such that it is able to receive, side by side, the hooks of two sections disposed on either side of the girder. This solution, which appears to be extremely simple from the technical viewpoint, is in reality extremely costly to carry into effect. In fact, the shaping in hook form of the ends of the web requires, for each end of a cross member, a plurality of working steps and, finally, the displacement of the hooked portion by the amount of half the thickness of the web, in order that it may be possible to align two cross members retained in one and the same aperture.

The connecting elements provided independently of the ice sections the use of which has hitherto been recommended are as a rule complicated in shape or require the provision on the sections of special cross-sectional arrangements which are utilised only over extremely short distances, or even not at all in certain applications, and, in certain cases it is necessary to provide left-hand and righthand enantiomorphic connecting elements and even completely different elements at each end of a transverse section.

The support grid for panels for a false ceiling according to the present invention has the advantage that it requires only a single type of connecting element which is extremely simple in shape and which may be produced in a single working step, for example by fiat stamping.

According to the invention, the grid comprises, as the connecting element between the longitudinal and transverse inverted T-sections, a plane member comprising on the one hand a body having two parallel edges capable of being inserted in close friction fit in grooves extending along the foot and the reinforced head of the web of a transverse section, for the purpose of backing the body of the plane member against one of the faces of the said web, a stop on the upper edge of the said body limiting the extent of introduction of the latter into the grooves; on the other hand, the plane member comprises a finger constituting a prolongation of the body of the said member and formed with a notch which is open downwardly and has parallel edges spaced substantially by the amount of the thickness of the web of a longitudinal Section. The said finger is adapted to extend through one of two vertical apertures formed side by side in the web of a longitudinal section and to engage therein by means of its vertical notch in such manner that the horizontal flanges of the transverse section and those of the longitudinal section are located in the same plane. The distance between the two apertures in the web of the longitudinal section is such that two transverse sections, with the body of their connecting elements backing against different faces of the web, are perfectly aligned on either side of the longitudinal section when the fingers of their connecting elements are engaged in the apertures.

Advantageously, the transverse sections are formed only on one side of the web with grooves adapted to receive the body of connecting elements, the various aligned transverse sections being mounted in such manner that the side of the web formed with grooves alternates from one section to the other. The longitudinal section and transverse sections are preferably of identical cross-section, so that it is possible to construct the grid with a single type of section and a single type of connecting element.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a connecting element, and

FIGURE 2 shows an intersection between a longitudinal section and two transverse sections.

The connecting element 1 is a plane member, preferably made of metal, which may be manufactured by stamping sheet metal having a thickness of approximately 1 mm. It comprises a body 2 having two parallel edges 3 and 4, whereof the upper edge 3 carries a stop lug 5. The body 2 is prolonged by means of a finger 6 formed with a downwardly-open notch 7 the parallel edges of which are spaced apart by a distance slightly exceeding the thickness of the web 8 of a longitudinal section 9.

The longitudinal section 9, and also the transverse sections 10, both of which are inverted-T-sections, have a vertical web 8 or 11 and horizontal flanges 12 and 13 on which the edges of the panels 14 bear. On the side of the face 15 of the Web 11, the transverse sections 10 are formed with a longitudinal groove 16 which is formed by a rib 17 provided on the web 13 and with a groove 3 18 formed in the reinforced head 19 of the web 11. On the side of the face 20 of the web 11, no grooves 16 and 18 are required.

At the intersection of the sections 9 and 10, the longitudinal section 9 is formed with vertical apertures 21 and 21 the width of which corresponds, save for a small clearance, to the thickness of the connecting elements 1, and the length of which is calculated to permit the pas sage of the finger 6 of an element 1.

In order to assemble a support grid for panels 14, connecting elements 1 are inserted in tight friction fit in the grooves 16 and 18 at the two ends of the transverse sections 10, in such manner that the stop lug 5 abuts against the head 19 of the web, the finger 6 is introduced into the one or other of the apertures 21 or 21 in such manner that the web 11 is opposite the space between the two apertures, and then the notch 7 is engaged on the web 8. By appropriate selection of the depth of the notch 7 and of the positioning of the lower end of the apertures, it is a simple matter to juxtapose the horizontal flanges of the sections 9 and 10 in the same plane.

In order to align a second transverse section relatively to a first, on the other side of a longitudinal section, the unoccupied aperture will be used and the second section will be disposed in such manner that the faces and of the web 11 or (this amounting to the same thing) the horizontal flanges 12 and 13 of the transverse sections alternate from one section to the other. In order to achieve perfect alignment, the gap between the apertures 21 and 21 should correspond to the thickness of the web 11 of the transverse sections.

FIGURE 2 shows sections 9 and 10 of identical crosssection. It is self-evident that the longitudinal sections 9 could differ from the transverse sections 10, i.e. be devoid of grooves 16 and 18, which are not used on the sections 9, and that the height of the web 8 may differ from that of the web 11; even the reinforced head 19 may be omitted on the sections 9. However in order to simplify the manufacture of the sections, using only a single extrusion die, and also because the reinforced head considerably increases the resistance of the section to flexure, the use of identical sections for the longitudinal girders and for the cross girders is justified, this being in the majority of cases the most economical solution. It is also clear that the use of plane connecting elements as described is not limited to the sections shown in FIGURE 2 and that it would also be suitable to use sections which are symmetrical with respect to the web, having grooves on both sides of the latter, for the engagement therein of cranked connecting elements, whereas the use of the latter would not be possible in combination with the sections described.

As is conventional, the grid according to the invention also comprises members for suspension from the ceiling (not shown), having a fixed or adjustable height.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and illustrated by way of example and the scope of the invention would not be exceeded if modifications were to be made.

I claim:

1. A support for panels of false ceilings, comprising a plurality of members of inverted T-section arranged in a grid of longitudinal and transverse elements, each said T-section member incluuding a vertical web, a horizontal flange on said web at one end thereof, and a reinforcement on said web at the other end thereof remote from the flange, said T-section member having opposite grooves respectively provided in said reinforcement and at said flange in immediate proximity with one face of the web, and connecting members securing the longitudinal and transverse elements at their intersections such that the flanges of said elements lie in a common plane, each intersection location being formed by a continuous longitudinal element and aligned oppositely facing transverse elements each of which is connected to the longitudinal element by a respective connecting member, each connecting member being constituted as a planar element including a body having upper and lower parallel edges inserted in tight fitting relation in respective grooves of an associated transverse element at each intersection such that the bodies of the planar elements at each intersection are flush against different faces of the webs of oppositely facing transverse elements, a stop lug located at the upper edge of said body for engaging the reinforcement of the associated transverse element to limit the depth of engagement of the body in said transverse element, and a finger constituting a prolongation of the body of the plane member and having a downwardly open notch with parallel edges spaced apart a distance which is substantially equal to the thickness of the web of a T-section member, the web of the longitudinal element having a pair of vertical apertures at each intersection location spaced apart by the thickness of the web of a T-section element, said fingers 0f the connecting members of the transverse elements at each intersection being inserted in respective apertures and engaged therein by accommodation of the web of the longitudinal element in said notches of the fingers whereby the transverse elements at each intersection are secured in aligned relation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,896,752 7/1959 Wilde 287189.36 2,990,921 7/1961 Wilde 52-495 3,213,979 10/1965 Oiler 287189.36 3,294,428 12/1966 Lickliter et al. 52495 3,312,488 4/1967 Lickliter et al. 287-18936 FOREIGN PATENTS 260,978 8/1965 Australia.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner. J. L. RIDGILL, JR., Examiner. 

